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Thursday, January 28, 2010

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Drum Roll Please .... Sarah of Armillata Designs is our January winner of the fabulous Unicorn Pendant from Keith of Rapier Glass. Thanks for all the entries and check back soon for our February Blog Giveaway.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Etsy is hosting a really fun project, called Special Delivery, to bring some happiness to New York seniors, through the Meals on Wheels program. This began last year and is going to be an annual tradition!

Make or buy Valentine cards that are "cheerful" for a senior adult. Mail them to etsy.

They MUST arrive by FEB. 9th so they can be sent out with the meals on Valentine's Day.How Sweet is This!Follow the links for all the details.......and if you participate, send me some pics of your cards and I will blog about them!

A semi-formal event at the Morocco Shrine Auditorium. Tickets at the door will be $20 per person. All tickets include one free drink. Cash bar and appetizers will be provided. All proceeds will benefit the Shriner's Childrens Hospital. Come enjoy dancing, food and fun ... all for a good cause!

There will be vendors who will be selling and donating a percentage of their profits to Shriner'sChildrens Hospital

Monday, January 18, 2010

Who are you?My name is Barbara Gurlek, I'm a mom to a grown daughter, 3 Golden Retrievers, 4 horses, and 2 donkeys! I have a wonderful marriage. I love making jewelry, scuba diving (although I don't do much of that anymore) and shopping. I also like interior decorating and some other crafty things.What do you create?I make jewelry mostly, out of precious metal clay. It's unique because I use objects in nature, such as a sea grape leaf, a starfish, a sea biscuit, shells, make a mold of them, then after they're baked in a kiln, voila, pure silver! I also do some silversmithing and I'm going to be taking some more classes soon so I'm really looking forward to learning new skills.

How did you come about your store name?The first thing I ever made with pmc looks like a fish bone, so I used that for my store name.

What is your favorite material to work with?Precious metal clay and sterling.

What is your favorite feature on Etsy?I love the treasuries! I love the different color themes and subjects that people come up with.

What do you enjoy "window shopping" on Etsy on your free time?Oh yeah! I enjoy doing more than just window shopping too! Where in Florida do you live?I live in Melbourne and have lived here a very long time. I love the water and the weather the most. There's nothing like walking on the causeway and seeing dolphins and manatees, how many people get to see that while exercising?

Could you recommend a fun activity near your Fl home that other members might enjoy?The Kennedy Space Center and Sebastian Inlet if you are into surfing and/or diving.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

TweetFelt is the oldest fabric know to man and "Felting" is an old fabric making process that has recently become popular again. Felting can be done with wool and a special felting needle that snags and blends the wool. The technique is an art to practice and learn. The felted projects on etsy, mainly animals, are adorable.

Kim of Sassycrafter has a tutorial on her blog, to make this cute pocket calendar cover, from a old sweater that is "felted" with your washing machine and dryer!Upcycling and repurposing - going green - we all love it!

Here's step one:1. Find a wool or wool-blend sweater and felt it by machine washing it with hot water and a small amount of detergent. Include an old pair of jeans or a towel to help the felting process. Let dry, either at room temperature or in a dryer set to medium or high.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Who are you?I am Audrey, a Wife, a Mom, a "professional" Volunteer, an Artist, a Jewelry designer, a Genealogist, a Gardener, a crafter, an avid reader, chief cook and bottle washer, a bookkeeper, a Scout supporter, a former Banker. Loving every minute of being a stay at home Mom ----who is hardly ever home.

What do you create?

I create Paper Sculpture, Jewelry, cards and figurines. I also do some sewing and other needle work. Nature, gardening and History inspire me greatly and I like to reflect these inspirations in my designs.

How did you come about your store name?For the last three plus years, I ran an organic vegetable gardening program at my son's elementary school as a volunteer. Each school year, I had about 200 children from Kindergarten through Fifth grade in my program. Sometimes the smaller children had trouble pronouncing my last name so they started calling me Garden Lady. I like that title. Even now, I run into some of them in the grocery store and they still call me Garden Lady. My son moved up to middle school this year, so I consult on the program at elementary school but don't run it everyday anymore. I really enjoyed teaching children how to grow fresh food organically and am thrilled at having taught many of them to try new veggies. I also published a monthly Victory Garden newsletter for them. Each class would have a couple of Garden reporters who would write about their experiences in the garden. I published their articles and pictures and gave each reporter a garden spade of their own to keep. Many encouraged their parents to help them start their own gardens at home. The program was a real blessing for me.

What is the crafting utensil you cannot live without?My CutterBee non-stick scissors

What is your favorite material to work with?Natural papers, fibers, gemstones and clay

What is your life like outside of Etsy?Oh my goodness! Where do I start? Besides being married to my best friend almost 15 years now, I have a very active wonderful son. My husband is an architect. We are very involved in our church and Boy Scouts. I volunteer at my son's school, in Scouts and at church. I have been working on genealogy for 11 years now....my own and others. I love to craft, design, read, explore, garden, cook....not enough hours in the day!

What is your favorite feature on Etsy?I really like the Teams. It's fun to get to know people with common interests and to promote and support each other.

What do you enjoy "window shopping" on Etsy on your free time?Free Time? When there is any of that available, I like to explore Southwestern art. I love Native American art, folklore and culture.

Is there an online "tool" that you like to use? (a website, whether it be Etsy or not, or something that you consider useful in your selling and communicating or advertising and research)Etsy, of course, but I also use Facebook and Twitter.You can fan me at http://tinyurl.com/yfoyl8xand follow me atwww.twitter.com/AudreyGarden

What other interests do you have?History. I frequently volunteer to transcribe old deeds, wills and records for a genealogy society I belong too.

Where in Florida do you live?We have lived in Orlando almost 14 years now. We lived in Tampa prior to moving here. We love how vibrant, active and growing Orlando is. Lots of families. Lots to do here.

Could you recommend a fun activity near your Fl home that other members might enjoy?All of the major theme parks are here, but we don't go much. We like to explore the natural parks here and around the state and country. We love to do the "Florida on a tankful" kinds of trips. East coast and west coast Florida beaches are an easy drive from here. Not long ago, we went to Cedar Key. What a fabulous place!!

Where would you go if you had a time machine and why?I would go back to 1766 in South Carolina so I could meet two of my ancestors and solve a genealogy mystery that has had me at a brick wall for years. Actually there are a few of these kinds of places I go to, if I could!

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Meet Marilo of Bululu Studio:Who are you?I’m here to make your life and my life colorful, fun, interesting, funky, hip and help you to create a place that brings you pleasure; and that is called Bululu Studio. This is a family business, yes all the family collaborate. The hubby do the sanding, the mailing orders, and makes Bululu (me) happy :D The kids behave so mommy can work in peace. Everyone is involved.What? You want to know about me? I’m an Interior Designer, 31 years old (shh don’t tell anybody). I’m a mom. Married, I have three beautiful girls, a Rock Star husband that he thinks he can fly (He likes Superman).Of course, I’m a crafter since I remember. I remember selling some knotted bracelets made by me and my cousin; I used to sell them at school when I was just 9 years old.What inspires me? Nature inspires me, organic shapes, flowers, birds, owls, leaves, I also enjoy vintage patterns. Clean lines, contemporary designs. Bauhaus. I don’t like busy patterns or antique styles, sorry that’s just me.

What do you create?Most of my goodies are ecofriendly home décor. How did you come about your store name?

First of all, Bululu is a colloquial word from my hometown which means generally noisy and disordered agglomeration of people. A Tumult of joyful individuals.

What is your favorite material to work with?I have a lot of favorites I love wood, paper, beads and paint.

What is your favorite feature on Etsy?I enjoy making treasuries, it’s really fun.

What do you enjoy "window shopping" on Etsy on your free time?Home décor it’s my passion I rather buying a picture framed than a pair of shoes.

What other interests do you have?I love a good concert, a great movie and a Swiss bar of chocolate.

Where in Florida do you live?I live in Melbourne, it’s close to the beach and Cape Canaveral I love seeing the Shuttle Launch. How the flames reflects on the water at night. It’s a gorgeous scene.

Could you recommend a fun activity near your Fl home that other members might enjoy?Every second Friday of the Month we have a special event at the Downtown of Melbourne, where you can walk, live music, drink and eat a lot of recreational activities.

Friday, January 1, 2010

This Giveaway has been awarded - watch for the next one in early February

This month our Giveaway is sponsored by Keith of RapierGlassfrom Davenport, Florida. Keith carefully combines glass and metals to bring beautiful designs to life.

He’s offering a beautiful Black and Silver Unicorn Pendant Necklace with an embossed brass stamping which has been carefully finished to a brightly polished silver and attached to a 1 ½ by 1 ¾ inch piece of premium art glass. Opaque black glass, a silver bail for attaching to a necklace and an 18 inch cord with a 3 inch chain for adjusting the length.

HOW TO ENTER: Enter to win this fabulous Pendant Necklace by visiting RapierGlass at his Etsy Shop or any of the FEST Team members listed to the left on this page. Find your favorite item, share it with us and tell us why you love it. Remember to add your email address so we can contact you if you are the Winner! Winner picked on 01/27/10. Simple and Easy!